New research
July 4, 2012
At the end of 2011, the Stiftung Mercator foundation and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research set up a new research institute for sustainable growth in a world with limited resources, the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, or MCC. Lars Grötewold, Program Director Climate Change at the Stiftung Mercator, has been closely involved with the establishment of the MCC.
Global Ideas: The word ‘commons’ is explicitly used in the title of the new institute. Why is that?
Lars Grotewold: Tackling the big challenges of our time will in large part depend on if we are able to establish international regulations on global common goods. For the atmosphere alone, we need a type of global governance that we’ve never seen before. The overuse of this shared resource will in the foreseeable future push us right to the limit of our coping abilities.
Which types of “commons” will the MCC deal with?
It will focus on all the commons that play a big role in climate change: the atmosphere, land, forests, water and the ocean. The growth model of the 21st century will be shaped decisively through these global and local common resources. We will only succeed in using them sustainably if there is a far-reaching transformation process.
How important is Elinor Ostrom’s commons theory for climate scientists?
Ostrom’s analysis is essential to any discussion on commons. The principle of collective action has already been worked out on a local level, but it now has to be explored on a global level. It doesn’t translate directly one-to-one because the global level is more complex. The MCC will certainly work on both local and global levels. We have to find new methods of cooperation between the various political levels.
What gap is the MCC meant to fill in the world of environmental research?
The institute is important for two reasons. The first reason is content - so far there have been no institutes in Europe or beyond that research economic growth, climate protection and sustainable development from the approach of the global commons in an integrated context. Integrated means that you look for solutions beyond various sectors such as energy, land use and transportation.
The second reason has to do with the type of scientific political consulting. These days, political consulting generally follows a linear approach where politics asks a question, science answers, and politics implements that answer. But that is completely unrealistic. We want to try out an iterative model, where we take our research results to politicians and other players and initiate a dialogue, giving them a “reality check.” These results will then be taken into account in further research. We want to create a permanent cycle of research and consulting.
What types of questions will the MCC seek to answer?
Initially, there will be four research groups. The first one will explore the link between economic growth, climate change and sustainable development in a world with limited resources. The focus will be on options to decouple economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions and use of resources. But it will also be about a new paradigm of economic activity. The basic premise for the work of the MCC is that the economic model of the 20th century will not take us very far.
The second research group will deal with resources and international trade. We will explore questions of how economic disparity arises, and how the flow of materials around the world affects the CO2 balance. The third group will focus on infrastructure, transport and the use of land – all largely on a local levels. One of the central topics here is urbanization because many of the key questions arise in urban areas.
Lastly, the fourth group will explore the topic of governance. It will take a look at effective and democratically legitimate transformation processes in a polycentric world. Which political instruments do we have to choose, and how can we forge cooperation between diverse political levels?
Interview: Eva Mahnke /ss
Editor: Sonia Phalnikar